From protest songs to academic texts, a growing number of cases spotlight the delicate바카라”and often dangerous바카라”tightrope between free expression and public sentiment.
In the last few years, India바카라™s creative and intellectual landscape is increasingly under the lens, as artists, writers, and publishers find themselves at the center of legal firestorms for works perceived to offend religious sentiments or question dominant narratives. From protest songs to academic texts, a growing number of cases spotlight the delicate바카라”and often dangerous바카라”tightrope between free expression and public sentiment.
The most recent controversy erupted in Nagpur, where a memorial event for Dalit rights activist Vira Sathidar turned into a legal battle after the poem 바카라śHum Dekhenge바카라ť by Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz was recited. Originally written in 1979 as a rebuke to authoritarianism, the poem was cited in a police complaint following the Pahalgam terror attack. Complainant Datta Shirke alleged it was inappropriate to read a 바카라śPakistani poet바카라™s words바카라ť during a time of heightened tension with Pakistan. A case was registered under Section 152 of the IPC.
This is just one among a series of similar incidents.
In Tamil Nadu, folk singer Kovan (S. Sivadas) has faced repeated sedition charges:
- In 2015, for songs criticizing the state바카라™s alcohol policy.
- In 2018, for a song attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP during Cauvery water protests.
In Tripura in May 2025, content creator Sanu Malakar was harassed by Hindutva activists for singing 바카라śAllah Ke Bande Hasde바카라ť, prompting a protest by local artists.
In Assam, YouTuber Altaf Hossain was arrested in September 2024 for remixing a Bihu folk song with lyrics inspired by the Bangladeshi protest song 바카라śDesh Ta Tomar Baaper Naki바카라ť ("Does the country belong to your father?"). Critics said it incited ethnic tensions. The state바카라™s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called on citizens to uphold Assamese cultural values.
In 2018, in Bihar바카라™s Rohtas district, eight individuals바카라”including five minors바카라”were arrested for allegedly performing a 바카라śpro-jihad바카라ť song during Eid. They were booked under sedition and other charges after the video went viral online.
Alongside music, the written word has also come under fire:
A police complaint alleged that the Congress leader compared Hindutva to ISIS and Boko Haram. He faced charges under IPC Sections 153 and 295 for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments.
The journalist-author was booked by Kolhapur police for making remarks against Hindu deities at a conference in Navi Mumbai. Charges were filed under Sections 295A and 298.
A political science textbook allegedly equated Islam with terrorism, prompting Muslim community leaders to demand action. An FIR was registered, and the books were subsequently withdrawn and destroyed.
A Class 4 textbook included a visual representation of the Prophet, violating Islamic norms. The publisher faced charges under Sections 153A, 504, and 120B of the IPC.
Three people were arrested in Prayagraj for distributing religious literature that allegedly insulted Hinduism. The book바카라™s author, Mahmood Hasan Gazi, was booked under multiple IPC sections and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
Taught at a law college, the book allegedly criticized the Hindu community and the RSS. Following protests from ABVP, the author and publisher were booked.
These incidents underscore a national trend: India바카라™s vibrant culture of dissent and debate is increasingly meeting the blunt force of legal machinery. While the Constitution guarantees free expression, these cases reveal how easily that freedom can be curtailed when art, religion, and politics collide.